The Boy Who Died
by EvenPottiesNeedToEat
Summary: As she turned the tiny, gold hourglass, only one thought ran though Hermione's head.  "I will get revenge."  She never knew what would really happen.
1. Revenge

**Author's note: Hey guys! I hope you like this, it's my first attempt at a time traveling fic. This is my favorite pairing though, so maybe I can pull it off. Please review and let me know how you liked this first chapter, I reply to every review **** The first person to review gets a oneshot, of their choice, written by me for a present. WARNING: This may change your perception of a certain villain, so don't read if that will bother you…please give it a chance though! This is just a prologue, so don't get upset about it being short. **

**Disclaimer: I just borrowed JKR's world for a little while, I don't own this. Or have a castle in Scotland, unfortunately. Nor am I richer than the queen of England. **

The day Harry Potter died was the day the Order of the Phoenix fell apart.

It was the day Remus Lupin hung himself.

The day Albus Dumbledore turned to Firewhiskey.

The day Molly Weasley came face to face her worst fear- one of her children dying.

The day something inside Hermione Granger snapped. No tears came, but she didn't want to cry anyway. Miss granger wasn't sad, oh no. She was furious. She wanted nothing more than to destroy Voldemort, to destroy the man her destroyed her life, the lives of everyone she loved, the lives of so many innocent people. No thought was put into her plan; there was no time for that. No one was consulted either, no one would even know where she was. Hermione didn't care, she didn't feel anything beside anger and the need for revenge.

The time finally came, eleven pm on May 2, 1998. Less than twenty-four hours after her best friend was murdered in his sleep. After tip-toeing around the headquarters, gathering everything she needed, screams shook the house. Hermione was unfazed; she knew it was just someone having a nightmare. Reliving last night. Squeezing her eyes shut, Hermione shook her head, trying to shoo the memory away.

_The black behind her eyelids vanished, and suddenly she was back at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had finally destroyed all of the Horcruxes, and came back to Hogwarts for-what would hopefully be- the finally battle. The trio had every intention of taking Voldemort down, and didn't plan on leaving until the job was finished. None of them had considered the possibility of one of them dying. _

_Ron and Hermione had gone to the Chamber of Secrets to get the fangs from the dead basilisk. It was a brilliant idea that Ron had, to give them to the older students in order to defend themselves if the battle with the death Eaters came to hand-to-hand combat, or if they lost possession of their wands. It wasn't that they didn't want the younger students to be safe, but harry thought it was too much of risk to let them have such dangerous weapons at their disposal, and they were easy targets for the imperious curse and generally more likely to accidently hurt someone. Hermione saw Ron's face as he tried to speak in parseltongue. She saw the way his forehead wrinkled. The way he shook his red hair out of his eyes. The way his nose scrunched with concentration, blurring his freckles. The way his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth, they way it always did during exams at school. _

_The next thing Hermione remembered was Harry. Harry sitting on Voldemort's lap. This made no sense, Hermione squeezed Ron's hand tighter and froze at the entrance to the Great Hall. This made no sense, what was going on? What was Harry doing? Was this a trap, all along? He must be under the imperious…so many thoughts ran though Hermione's head as she tried to wrap her head around the situation. Voldemort rose from where he sat, at the Headmaster's seat in the front of the room. At this point, Hermione figured out what was going on. Why Harry wasn't wearing his glasses, why his eyes were closed. As the Dark Lord stood, Harry just slumped to the floor. Harry Potter was dead. His murderer spoke, and everyone listened. _

"_Today is the day you will always remember. Today is the day you lost all hope. Death Eaters, release your victims. We have what we have come for. Students, teachers, aurors, if you try to resist, you will die. I am in control now."_

_And with that, he was gone. That was the moment Hermione Granger vowed to get revenge. _

She found herself on the floor, her dense curls plastered to her face with sweat. No longer caring about being quiet, she stormed into the kitchen. In a fit of rage and frustration, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and chopped it off with a knife she found on the counter. She watched her coffee-brown locks float to the floor, expecting to feel something. She didn't. For some reason, her tears finally decided to come. With her back to the wall, Hermione crumpled to the floor. When the knife, still in her hand, sliced a gash in her knee, she came back to her senses. She straightened her clothes, and pulled the time-turner out of her pocket.

As she turned the tiny, gold hourglass, only one thought ran though Hermione's head.

"_I will get revenge."_

**Author's Note: I hope you guys like it! I just had a random burst of inspiration. **** The next update will be within the next few days. Review and get cupcakes…and if you're lucky, a oneshot. **


	2. The New Hermione Goes Crazy

**Author's note: I'm not very happy with this chapter, I just couldn't get it quite right…but give it a shot, it sets everything up for the rest of the fic. This also happens to be the longest single chapter I have ever written. Sorry if it's a little filler-y, I just needed to set the scene. The plot really gets rolling next chapter. Don't forget to review! I kind of hear If I had you by Adam Lambert whenever I hear this story, it seems like a theme song for it, in a weird, misleading way. **

**Disclaimer:**** Disclaimer: I just borrowed JKR's world for a little while, I don't own this. Or have a castle in Scotland, unfortunately. Nor am I richer than the queen of England.**

Hermione watched the years roll backwards around her. The eighties were full of neon colors, and there was a shag carpet beneath her feet in the seventies. The sixties ushered in a surprising amount of peace signs in the Black household, and the fifties modest furnishings. People always thought of time traveling as a person going back, but to Hermione it seemed like she was staying the same and her surroundings were rewinding. She had always viewed it like that, ever since she got the time-turner in her third year at Hogwarts to accommodate her hefty schedule. Silently, the brunette thanked Merlin she had held on to the trinket.

When she heard Mrs. Black's portrait screaming, Hermione snapped to her senses and turned around instinctively. Much to her surprise, the portrait wasn't there anymore, but a very young version of the woman Hermione recognized as Sirius' mother stood in the doorway, screaming. With a blatant roll of her mocha eyes, Hermione turned on her heel and walked out of Number 12 Grimwald Place. She noticed, with a smirk, that not much had changed outside. Retaining her calm, collected demeanor, Hermione made her way down the street to her favorite muggle café. She bought a coffee, and asked if she could use the employees only bathroom. When the cashier hesitated, Hermione simply batted her eyelashes and murmured "Please?"

The reflection in the bathroom mirror terrified Hermione. She looked so unlike herself, so dark, savage. Not to say she looked ugly, oh no. Even Hermione could see that this wild look suited her. The dark hollows beneath her eyes somehow made them brighter, more awake. Her cheekbones seemed more prominent, her lips thinner. Her hair now curly gently to her chin. This new Hermione terrified and pleased her.

After scouring her brain, trying to remember what witches wore in the forties, Hermione began to transfigure her clothes. With a flick of her wand, Hermione's dark, torn jeans became a black, knee-length skirt. It rose to her bellybutton, and fell down her thighs in soft, flowing pleats. With another swish of her hand, the white tee-shirt on Hermione's torso became a dark purple blouse. Having tried, and failed, to transfigure her bracelet into a sweater, Hermione scowled in the mirror.

"_This outfit is so girly, so impractical. I am going to destroy Tom Riddle, and if that's going to happen, I need to be comfortable in battle." _She heaved a sigh and faced the facts: if she wanted to blend in to her new era, this was how she needed to dress. A chill ran down Hermione's spine when she thought about the reason she was here. She felt it coming this time, and once again tried to shake the memory away, to no avail.

_Ron and Hermione had gone to the Chamber of Secrets to get the fangs from the dead basilisk. It was a brilliant idea that Ron had, to give them to the older students in order to defend themselves if the battle with the death Eaters came to hand-to-hand combat, or if they lost possession of their wands. It wasn't that they didn't want the younger students to be safe, but harry thought it was too much of risk to let them have such dangerous weapons at their disposal, and they were easy targets for the imperious curse and generally more likely to accidently hurt someone. Hermione saw Ron's face as he tried to speak in parseltongue. She saw the way his forehead wrinkled. The way he shook his red hair out of his eyes. The way his nose scrunched with concentration, blurring his freckles. The way his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth, they way it always did during exams at school. _

_The next thing Hermione remembered was Harry. Harry sitting on Voldemort's lap. This made no sense, Hermione squeezed Ron's hand tighter and froze at the entrance to the Great Hall. This made no sense, what was going on? What was Harry doing? Was this a trap, all along? He must be under the imperious…so many thoughts ran though Hermione's head as she tried to wrap her head around the situation. Voldemort rose from where he sat, at the Headmaster's seat in the front of the room. At this point, Hermione figured out what was going on. Why Harry wasn't wearing his glasses, why his eyes were closed. As the Dark Lord stood, Harry just slumped to the floor. Harry Potter was dead. His murderer spoke, and everyone listened. _

"_Today is the day you will always remember. Today is the day you lost all hope. Death Eaters, release your victims. We have what we have come for. Students, teachers, aurors, if you try to resist, you will die. I am in control now."_

The memory didn't bother Hermione this time, nothing did. It was as if her brain had stopped processing emotions, like they were too frivolous to even think about. Cool calculations were the only thing the Brunette's brain could process.

One last glance in the mirror showed Hermione the bags under her eyes, she hadn't slept in days. In a vain attempt to fix them, she splashed cool water on her face. Realizing that she would see people in this time who she would meet in the future, like Professor Slughorn, the brown eyed girl decided to meddle with her physical appearance. A smile danced on her lips, the first one in a long time, as she tried different hair colors. Finally, she chose a rich, reddish-brown color. Her hair was already cut short, so length and style weren't issues. Afraid to mess with any other part of her appearance, for fear of doing something wrong, Hermione left the rest of her face the way it was naturally. She decided that anyone who noticed the resemblance would simply shrug it off.

Hermione looked herself in the eye, and with a sharp nod of her head, as if to say "I approve', she turned and left the bathroom. Before leaving the café, the seventeen year old asked the same employee she had flirted with earlier for the date, only to discover it was August 30. Knowing that she was in 1946, Hermione realized Voldemort would be going into his seventh year in two days.

"I wonder if he goes by 'Lord Voldemort' yet" she mused to herself, "or if he still goes by Tom Riddle…" She then realized, with a shudder, that she would never be able to call him by his given name. Tom was much too benign a name for him. Voldemort was pure evil. Evil. Malicious. Foul. Revolting.

Snapped back to reality by the sound of a barking dog, Hermione turned down a deserted alleyway. She saw the shaggy, black dog chase after her, but she apparated before the dog could get near her. After a few slightly uncomfortable moments of traveling, Hermione found herself in the Three Broomsticks.

After slipping out of the pub, Hermione took a look around the deserted street. Satisfied that no one was watching her, she lay down in the middle of the road and screamed. The scream could have shattered windows. It was as if the brown eyed girl was releasing every drop of anger, of fear, of sadness she had ever felt and hidden away with this one scream. Taking advantage of this tidal wave of emotion, Hermione curled herself into the fetal position and let the tears she had been holding in for so long fall. She screamed and cried as a crowd gathered around her. All of them murmured something about how the poor girl needed help, but no one actually helped her. Hermione realized that the emotions she was letting spill out were getting out of her control. "No" she mumbled to herself, "NO!" this time louder. The screams of nothing she had been letting out before turned to pleads of "NO! NO! NOT HARRY!" She began to rock back and forth as the memory came back.

_The next thing Hermione remembered was Harry. Harry sitting on Voldemort's lap. This made no sense, Hermione squeezed Ron's hand tighter and froze at the entrance to the Great Hall. This made no sense, what was going on? What was Harry doing? Was this a trap, all along? He must be under the imperious…so many thoughts ran though Hermione's head as she tried to wrap her head around the situation. Voldemort rose from where he sat, at the Headmaster's seat in the front of the room. At this point, Hermione figured out what was going on. Why Harry wasn't wearing his glasses, why his eyes were closed. As the Dark Lord stood, Harry just slumped to the floor. Harry Potter was dead. His murderer spoke, and everyone listened. _

"_Today is the day you will always remember. Today is the day you lost all hope. Death Eaters, release your victims. We have what we have come for. Students, teachers, aurors, if you try to resist, you will die. I am in control now."_

Hermione completely lost control for the first time she could remember. The memory was now running on loop in her mind.

_Harry. Harry sitting on Voldemort's lap. Harry Potter was dead. His murderer spoke, and everyone listened. _

"_Today is the day you will always remember. Today is the day you lost all hope. Death Eaters, release your victims. We have what we have come for. Students, teachers, aurors, if you try to resist, you will die. I am in control now."_

_Harry Potter was dead. _

"_Today is the day you will always remember. Today is the day you lost all hope. Death Eaters, release your victims. We have what we have come for. Students, teachers, aurors, if you try to resist, you will die. I am in control now."_

_Harry Potter was dead. _

_Harry Potter was dead. _

"_I am in control now"_

Shudders and sobs took over Hermione's body as she finally came to grips with what had happened. Not allowing herself to think anymore, the brunette let herself cry until her tears ran dry. The crowd around her continued to grow larger, and finally someone came to help her. Hermione almost wanted to smile as she heard someone pushing through the crowd saying "Let me through, you dunderhead. MOVE, you nincompoop!". She felt a large hand on her shoulder, and assumed it was the man she had heard speaking. "Miss? I am Professor Dippet. I am Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the castle right over there," he pointed behind Hermione, "I am going to take you up there now, so our healer can take care of you. Is that okay?" Hermione nodded her head feebly as she choked out a sob and brushed her matter hair out of her eyes. Her last tears began to dry on her cheeks. Professor Dippet continued, "Now, normally, one cannot apparated on Hogwarts ground. However, because I am headmaster, I get the privilege. I am going to side-along apparated you in 3…2…1", and with that, Hermione found herself on a bed in the hospital wing. Thankful for the soft mattress beneath her, rather than the dirt road in Hogsmead, she drifted to sleep.

Bright sunshine woke Hermione up the next morning. Startled, Hermione looked around, taking in her surroundings and trying to remember where she was. "Good morning dear" the healer said with a smile, "are you feeling better this morning?" the seventeen year old nodded in reply as she yawned and stretched her arms above her head. "I'm glad. I am Madame Pamplemousse, but I know that's a mouthful. Feel free to call me Madam P. " She had a comforting kind of face, and definitely looked like a healer. Her rosy, round cheeks were perpetually smiling, and her brown eyes exuded sympathy. Her plump body gave her a very motherly appearance.

Suddenly embarrassed by her behavior the previous day, Hermione began babbling apologies like they were going out of style. "Oh Madame P, I'm so sorry. School doesn't even start until tomorrow, you shouldn't need to be taking care of anyone. There isn't even anything wrong with me, I'm so sorry for interrupting your summer! If there is anyth-" when she was interrupted by a hearty laugh from the healer.

"Oh you silly girl. If I didn't like taking care of people, do you think I would have become a healer? You have nothing to apologise for, now lay back down and get some rest while we wait for Headmaster Dippet to finish his breakfast. I expect he wants to have a word with you." She said with a frown. Hermione could have sworn she heard Madame P mutter something under her breath about Dippet being an old fool, but wasn't sure and decided it didn't matter. With an exaggerated sigh, Hermione lay back down against the pillows, resting her eyes and soaking in the morning sunlight as she waited for the Headmaster to arrive.

After what seemed like half an hour's time to the brunette, the Hospital Wing doors creaked open. Professor Dippet walked-"no," Hermione thought, "He isn't walking…he's _strutting_!" It took all of her might not to burst out in laughter right then and there. When he finally reached the girl's bedside, he sat down in the chair provided. He sat there for a while, seeming to mull over what he intended to say. Hermione took advantage of this time to remind herself why she was there in the first place: to kill Lord Voldemort before he can hurt anyone. "Well, anyone besides the two people he had already killed…" she remembered. Running through her story in her head, Hermione felt confident that she could convince Dippet to enroll here at Hogwarts.

"What is your name, Miss?" the Headmaster asked abruptly.

Slightly taken aback, Hermione answered "Hermione Potter-Smith" in the shakiest voice she could manage. For extra effect, she looked up at Dippet through her eyelashes shyly.

"It is nice to meet you Miss Potter-smith. I don't mean to sound rude or out of place, so if you don't mind my asking" he babbled nervously," what exactly happened to you yesterday? To be honest you were, well, you were a mess. A wreck. You're lucky I got there when I did, before they called Saint Mungo's to lock you up."

Confused, Hermione knitted her magically tamed eyebrows together. She looked at her new-old, whatever- headmaster and tried to figure out if he was joking. He wasn't. Hermione thought of herself as a lot of things, but crazy was not one of them. At the accusation that she was, the brunette felt a little self-conscious….and very, very defensive. Her new defense mechanism kicked in, that is, the ability to completely cut herself off from her emotions. In this state, sarcasm and underhanded remarks were her best friend, and the only thing to come out of her mouth. This coping mechanism may not be as loud or explosive as just releasing the anger by yelling or getting physical, but when used correctly, Hermione found, it could destroy someone from the inside out. She found that just as satisfying.

After a moment's silence, Hermione looked up at her elder with a coy grin. "Well, Headmaster," she drawled with false sincerity, "I had a little run-in with someone in the street. _She _was trying to tell me that you were the worst, most imcompetent Headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen," her eyes widened to show false innocence, "but I was arguing that Hogwarts had seen so many _great_ headmasters, that it just isn't easy to measure up to them. Don't worry, I think you do a perferctly adequate job!"

At the word "adequate" Dippet's eyes narrowed. "I see you enjoy playing games, Potter. Well, in that case, you should know that it takes two to tango." He smirked, clearly he had found his last comment quite witty. "You may want to know, that if you don't cooperate with me, I could always ask the ministry to handle you…" Hermione internally rolled her eyes, "Oh, as if the ministry would bother caring about something so insignificant." Not bothering to deem his statement with a response, the brunette asked "So. What do I need to do to enroll for this year at Hogwarts?

**Author's Note: Well, this is the first half. I decided to break this chapter into two because I wanted to be able to update for you guys ASAP. I hope the plot isn't too obvious, although I fear it is. I already know what's going to happen at the end, and you guys are going to HATE me. Mwahaha. So, please review! For anyone who's wondering, Pamplemousse means 'grapefruit' in French. It has no significant meaning, I just think it's a funny word. **

**Congratulations to Veronica Willis, you get a oneshot of your choice. **** Review with what you want, and your wish is my command! Thank you all for reviewing, it means so much to me. **


	3. The Slug Club

**Author's note: I'm glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I'm afraid updates are going to slow after this chapter, because school starts on the 31****st**** for me. Unfortunately, school takes priority over fanfiction… Once again, this is kind of filler-y. I promise Tom will come into the story in the next one. Oooooh I can't wait for that. He is going to seduce you AND make you want to kill him. Mwahahahahaha. **

**Disclaimer: I just borrowed JKR's world for a little while, I don't own this. Or have a castle in Scotland, unfortunately. Nor am I richer than the queen of England.**

Hermione collapsed in bed, drained from the long day. After her meeting with the Headmaster, which didn't go as well as she had hoped it would, the brunette had a meeting with each of her teachers. They were to test her and make sure that her education was up to standard to fit the course. Obviously, she was accepted into all classes she wanted to take. Her schedule would be full with NEWT level Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Muggle studies, Arithmacy, Ancient Runes, and History of Magic. She was torn, when choosing classes, between taking only the basics, and using her spare time to plot against Voldemort, and loading up on all of the classes possible to spy on him. Eventually, Hermione remembered that although she was already eighteen, she had never actually graduation. With a sigh of relief, she signed up for as many classes as possible.

"Why am I so relieved about that?" she wondered aloud to herself. The bed she lay in was tucked away in the room of requirement, as she had not been sorted yet.

She answered her own question internally. "You feel relieved because you know you will feel more comfortable with Voldemort, I mean Tom Riddle, in your sight. " Unfortunately, Hermione also knew that she just liked the stability and routine of having a mountain of homework every night.

The brunette was given floo powder, by Headmaster Dipper (ever so reluctantly) to go to Diagon Alley and pick up supplies for the upcoming year the next day. Of course, the seventeen-year-old couldn't possibly tell her headmaster that she had stolen ("Borrowed." Hermione restated firmly to herself. "They are only borrowed, as I WILL return them once my mission is complete.") all of the books she would need for her seventh year from the future headmaster, and current Transfiguration teacher, Professor Dumbledore. Not wanting to seem suspicious, she agreed and told herself to use the allotted time to pick up some appropriate clothes for her new time period.

Hermione Potter-Smith drifted into a peaceful sleep, the first one she had experienced in a long time.

* * *

"Good morning, Professor" Hermione smiled, "I trust you slept well?"

Slughorn ginned back at her and replied "Very well, indeed, Miss Potter-Smith. But, of course, there is no need to suck up to me," he continued with a twinkle in his eye, "you are quite charming enough naturally. I must say, your potions ability is second to none. Tell me, does it come naturally to you, or are you the studious type?"

When he saw the brunette's hesitation to answer, he hasility continued, "I'm sorry to pry, it just isn't often that a professor is blessed with two prodigies in the same year. I am merely curious."

Hermione perked up at the mention of another student, and already had a feeling she knew who this was. "Oh no professor, I was just wondering what you considered studious. Of course, I think that statement alone answers your question!" She giggled back at him as they walked down the final set of stairs to the kitchens. "Oh Miss Potter-Smith. I do believe there is room for you in the Slug Club yet"

The seventeen year old knit her eyebrows together, feigning ignorance. "Just what is that, exactly, Professor?"

The middle aged man cleared his throat (and tickled the pear) before answering. "The Slug Club is a very exclusive group of students. We tend to get together once or twice a month for dinner or a party or something along those lines…" he rambled, "anyway, I have a talent for spotting, well, talent. Every so often a student comes along whom I just know will make it far in the world. Such students make up the Slug Club. Slug, of course, stemming from my name. Will you accept my invitation? I think you would make a lovely edition to my colle- excuse me, club."

Having placed her order (rather reluctantly, as she would have rather made breakfast herself, but the elves wouldn't let her), Hermione turned towards her professor. "I am quite flattered, really, Sir. I don't feel that I qualify, but if you think so, who am I to decline? I would love to be a part of the Slug Club." The man's grin widened as he swallowed a bite of toast. "Excellent, excellent, excellent. Expect an invitation to my back-to-school soiree, soon, my dear."

The two finished their breakfast in near silence, save for rather loud chewing on Professor Slughorn's part and chatter amongst the House Elves. After she finished eating her scrambled eggs and hot oatmeal, Hermione bade her professor farewell and left for the Headmaster's office. The brunette checked her pocket for her coin purse, and vaguely wondered what a galleon was worth in the nineteen-forties. She had brought her entire life's saving with her from the future, as she wasn't even sure she would make it back alive to spend it. In total, Hermione had 813 galleons, fourteen Sickles, and twelve Knuts. Curious as to how much that would be in muggle money (as she was far more used to handling that, even though she had been part of the wizarding world for seven years), Hermione did some quick calculations in her head. In total, the brunette had a little over 8,000 US Dollars, 4,000 UK Pounds, or 6,000 Euros. Satisfied with those numbers, she continued walking leisurely towards Dippet's office; Hermione wasn't exactly excited for her next encounter with the headmaster. The two didn't quite see eye to eye on most anything.

When she finally reached the gargoyles the marked the entrance to his office, she sighed.

"Horcrux" she spoke, and they moved aside. The brunette almost wanted to laugh at the irony of that, but her rage towards Voldemort was stronger. She felt fury bubbling up inside of her, and wanted to scream. She suddenly became dizzy, and sat down on the stairs, right where she had been standing. The brown eyed girl knew what was coming, and didn't want to take another trip to the Hospital Wing because she fell down a flight of stairs. The black behind her eyes faded to gray, then blinding white. The memory began again.

_Ron and Hermione had gone to the Chamber of Secrets to get the fangs from the dead basilisk. It was a brilliant idea that Ron had, to give them to the older students in order to defend themselves if the battle with the death Eaters came to hand-to-hand combat, or if they lost possession of their wands. It wasn't that they didn't want the younger students to be safe, but harry thought it was too much of risk to let them have such dangerous weapons at their disposal, and they were easy targets for the imperious curse and generally more likely to accidently hurt someone. Hermione saw Ron's face as he tried to speak in parseltongue. She saw the way his forehead wrinkled. The way he shook his red hair out of his eyes. The way his nose scrunched with concentration, blurring his freckles. The way his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth, they way it always did during exams at school. _

_The next thing Hermione remembered was Harry. Harry sitting on Voldemort's lap. This made no sense, Hermione squeezed Ron's hand tighter and froze at the entrance to the Great Hall. This made no sense, what was going on? What was Harry doing? Was this a trap, all along? He must be under the imperious…so many thoughts ran though Hermione's head as she tried to wrap her head around the situation. Voldemort rose from where he sat, at the Headmaster's seat in the front of the room. At this point, Hermione figured out what was going on. Why Harry wasn't wearing his glasses, why his eyes were closed. As the Dark Lord stood, Harry just slumped to the floor. Harry Potter was dead. His murderer spoke, and everyone listened. _

"_Today is the day you will always remember. Today is the day you lost all hope. Death Eaters, release your victims. We have what we have come for. Students, teachers, aurors, if you try to resist, you will die. I am in control now."_

It was the last line that Voldemort had spoken that haunted Hermione, even more than the death of her best friend. The trio had known Harry was going to die ever since they figured out that he was Voldemort's last Horcrux, but they thought that 'The Dark Lord' would be dead, too at that point. The plan had been for Harry to cast two killing curses simultaneously, one at himself, and one at his enemy. He had stolen Draco Malfoy's wand at the Malfoy manor, and intended to use that one on himself, and the phoenix core wand on Voldemort.

Harry had never been bothered by the fact that he was fated to die so young, he was too valiant for that. He was happy that everyone he loved would be safe, and thought nothing of the sacrifice. Of course, Ron and Hermione were both deeply disturbed by it. After a week or so of Hermione's sobbing and Ron's lifelessness, the couple had put themselves back together. There was no way around it; if Voldemort was going to die, Harry was going to die. No amount of crying would fix that. They accepted their best friend' s fate, and continued on with their mission.

Once she felt reoriented, the teenage girl stood back up and finished her hike up the stairs towards the Headmaster's office. She wiped the tears from her eyes and knocked on the immense wooden doors in front of her. When no one answered, she rolled her eyes and walked in anyway. Hermione was already on a bad foot with Dippet, and didn't really see how things could get worse. Luckily, she saw that he wasn't even in his office. Not really caring, the brunette walked towards the fireplace in the far left corner. She reached into the tin of floo power next to it, grabbed a fistful, and stepped into the flames.

When Hermione opened her eyes, she was in Diagon Alley.

**Author's Note: Please review, that's what keeps me writing! That and I love to write...I'm sorry this chapter is short, the next one will be quite long. As will most of the rest of them...I love you guys! I'm also thinking about changing the name of this story, I'm not terribly fond of it... I have a good idea of what it will be, but any suggestions would be appreciated!  
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	4. Tom Riddle

**Author's note: I AM SO EXCITED TO HAVE THIS CHAPTER OUT. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. I'M GIDDY WITH EXCITEMENT, YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND. Please review. **** Warning: There is a reason this is rated M…But, I really hope you guys enjoy this. Once again I would like to remind you that this is somewhat AU, and many of, erm, the experiences in this chapter, are my creation. **

**On another note, there have been some questions about Ron and the others that Hermione left behind. Aside from the ones mentioned in the first chapter, (Lupin, Harry, Fred, and the others that died in the cannon version, like Tonks, Hedwig, Sirius, except Dumbledore. I love him, so he is alive) everyone is alive. They aren't mentioned because Hermione knows nothing about what happened after she went back in time. She left less than 24 hours after Harry's death, so everyone was still coping in their own ways. I promise we'll learn more about what happens in Hermione's absence later in the fic…mwahahahaha!**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I just borrowed JKR's world for a little while, I don't own this. Or have a castle in Scotland, unfortunately. Nor am I richer than the queen of England. **

"Pants…" the old man moaned.

Pale hands reached shakily towards a belt. There was no use resisting anymore. It just wasn't worth it. He couldn't stop the man. He was broken.

The pain.

The neglect.

The abuse.

The rape.

It was just _too much_.

He bit his lip, attempting to will the tears in his eyes to dissolve, rather than fall down his ashen cheeks. The boy looked towards the ceiling and tried to ignore the foreign hands roaming his body. They traced the child's collar bone in what he supposed was supposed to be a seductive manner. The tears began to fall as the hands wandered further down his body. They brushed over his prominent ribs, outlined the light definition of his muscles, and caressed his hip bones. His skin prickled at the touch, as if his body was figuring out what was going to happen, long after his mind knew. Unable to stand it anymore, the child wandered into the deepest, darkest corner of his mind and let the world fade away.

Hermione bolted awake. Beads of cold sweat ran down her face as she tried to figure out what had startled her. She looked around the dark Room of Requirement and saw nothing out of the ordinary. After a few moments' wondering as to why she was awake, she heard a train horn. "That must have been what woke me up!" she realized. Suddenly giddy, she exclaimed, "THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS! It's bringing in all of the other students! Oh my gosh, I have so much to tell Ron and Harr…". Her smile became a bitter scowl. Harry was dead. Merlin only knows what happened to Ron. With Harry dead and Hermione missing (as far as he knew), Ron could have killed himself or done something else stupid and irrational. The red head was very dependent on others, and if Hermione wasn't around, he might not know what to do. He wasn't one to seek approval from others, rather the opposite. He liked _being_ the support, not _having _it. Hermione groaned and lay back down as another memory flooded her consciousness.

"_I need to do this, guys. I'm sorry."_

"_Ron, you don't need to leave. Your family can take care of themselves. I promise. Hermione and I need you, mate."_

"_Harry, you don't understand. You and Hermione have each other for support, but my family isn't like that. None of them know how to support another person, save maybe Fred and George for each other. They need me more than you guys do at the moment."_

_In a sudden burst of his infamous temper, Harry began to yell. _

"_You are being a selfish git. You're just scared. You want to go back home to Mommy and Daddy where everything is safe- well, mate, I've got news for you. NO WHERE IS SAFE NOW! No where! Voldemort can, and will, kill anyone he damn well pleases. This may surprise you, but the Weasley family is right at the top of his list! Not only are you the worst blood-traitors around, but you're involved with the Order of the Phoenix, you're my best mate, and Ginny is my Girlfriend who also happens to have escaped from Tom's memory in the Chamber of Secrets. He KNOWS that getting to you and your family will get to me, and in the end, that's all he wants, isn't it? To ruin me so he can finish his genocide. I didn't ask to be 'the Chosen One', and I can't do this alone."_

_The green-eyed boy stopped for a moment and panted. He looked as if he was going to cry. In a gentler voice, he continued, "Listen, mate. The only way for you to keep your family safe is to help Hermione and me destroy Voldemort. We need to finish what we started. We need your help, Ron."_

"_You wouldn't understand, your family is DEAD." Was Ron's only reply before he apparated, presumably, back to the Burrow. _

Hermione almost wanted to smile at the memory: it was Ron at his best. Sure, he could be a dunderhead sometimes, but his heart was always in the right place. He just wanted to make sure his family was safe from Lord Voldemort, which lead the brunette's mind back to the reason she was in the God-forsaken forties, anyway.

Having gone to the kitchens for breakfast, Hermione decided to go back to the Room of Requirement and pack up her things. Once she was sorted with the first years at the Welcoming Feast tonight, she would be moving in to her new dormitories. "I wonder what house I'll be in" she wondered, "Time does change a person." She laughed at the double-entendre of the statement. "I'm certainly not the same buck-toothed eleven-year-old that arrived at Hogwarts in 1991. I think it's safe to rule Hufflepuff out, as I'm not particularly patient or kind. Ravenclaw is possible, although my studies are the LAST thing on my mind right now. Slytherin…likely. I've always had a bit of a mean streak, although it's generally well hidden. Life slapped me in the face in fifth year, with the realization that Voldemort really was back, and people were going to die." She frowned at the memory of Sirius, even more so at the recollection of Harry after his death. "I suppose it would be rather convenient to be sorted into Slytherin this time around, to be in closer proximity to Riddle. Harry did say that the Sorting Hat took his opinion into consideration….and after all, Slytherin and Gryffindor are really just two sides of the same coin. They're filled with people of the same characteristics that manifest themselves in different ways. If I was in the same house as Riddle, it would be quite easy to sneak into his dorm." Hermione grinned mischievously at the thought. If she waited a few weeks, she could simply slip into his room while he was asleep and Avada Kedavra him right then and there. After all, who would suspect the innocent new transfer student? She laughed maniacally at the idea.

At the sound of her own laughter, the brunette was disgusted with herself. If she snuck up on him and killed him in his sleep, she was being no better than Voldemort himself.

"But it's for the good of everyone in the future…" she reminded herself. Unfortunately, that sentence sounded too much like Grindlewald's "For the greater good" to do Hermione much comfort.

With a sigh, she continued packing her things away, and put on her new school robes to get ready for the feast. The robes were not much different from those of her own time. Really, the only exception was that the black skirt was a little longer (falling to just below the knees, rather than just above), and girls were required to wear it. In the 1990's, they had the option of wearing black slacks if they wanted to. Hermione was happy to see that although it was common for women to wear heels all the time, Hogwarts had deemed them impractical. Girls were to wear practical black shoes that were almost identical to the ones she was used to. Leaving her trunk behind, she stepped out into the hall and headed down towards the feast.

"A time traveler…interesting. I've only seen a handful of you before."

"So I'm not the first?"

"Nor are you the last, _Miss Granger. _I do wish you luck with your mission. Even at age eleven, his mind was more evil than any other I have seen. Do remember, though. He is (at this point) a human being, and deserves to be treated as such."

"Thank you, I'll definitely keep that in mind Mr….Hat?"

"Back to the sorting. I agree that Hufflepuff is not a good fit for you. Honestly, I just don't think they could handle you and your sarcasm. You may want to tone that down, by the way. Just a suggestion…Ravenclaw. This is a possibility, or at least it was. Or will be. However you want to phrase it. There is no doubt you have the mind to fit in with the others, I daresay you could even outshine most of them. However, right now, your heart doesn't lie with your schooling. Gryffindor…I'll place you there in the future, of course. You are definitely brave; there is no doubt about that. And of course, Slytherin is really just the other side of the coin…"

Hermione smiled, remembering that she had made the same analogy earlier.

"Which would you rather, Miss Granger-Potter-Smith? Slytherin or Gryffindor. I can tell you now, Slytherin would be more beneficial to your task, but you would be more warmly welcomed in Gryffindor."

"Slytherin." Hermione said without hesitation.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted to the hall.

There was clapping from the teachers, especially Slughorn, as he was head of the house. A few select Slytherins joined in, but for the most part they just whispered. The students in the other houses exchanged glances, clearly wondering what was up with the new girl. As Hermione walked towards her new table, she gave a longing look towards the Gryffindors. It would be nice to be one of them again. But, she realized, the dormitory, the common room, the table all held too many memories. "I have enough flashbacks as it is, thank you very much." She thought. As the brunette sat down, Dippet began his speech.

"Welcome back! It is nice to see the, mostly, smiling faces of young witches and wizards." He gave a pointed look towards the Slytherin table. Hermione scowled in return. "I am sure you are all famished, so I will make this quick. As you know, the muggles are at war with each other. Now, the wizards are too." The entire hall gasped, but the time traveler knew what was coming, "Grindelwald, I'm sure you have all heard of him, is a very dark wizard indeed. He is no longer staying in the shadows. Ours is a very dangerous time indeed my friends, but I want you to know that you are all safe here, within the walls of Hogwarts."

"Great," Hermione thought. "Why bother scaring the younger students if they're perfectly safe here? Grindelwald hasn't even been to England yet- nor will he ever. There really was no use in causing such a ruckus. " As she looked around, she saw 3 young Hufflepuffs crying, and a few Ravenclaws looking as if they had seen a ghost. Dippet pressed on without offering any condolences.

"Back to school business. I would like to invite all of the prefects to stand up – yes, very nice, thank you- take a good look, first years. If you are have issues with another student, are lost, or have any general questions about the school, feel free to ask these fine witches and wizards. They are here to help you. Please be aware, however, that they are also rule enforcers. If any of them catch you out of bed past curfew or breaking any other rules, they will have no choice but to assign the corresponding punishment. Thank you prefects, you may sit down now." He gestured to them as if they were dogs, Hermione observed. He continued, yet again.

"Before I move on to general announcements, the Head Students have a speech to make. Let me introduce your new Head Girl, Cecilia Black." The Ravenclaw table erupted in applause that drowned out the rest of the tables combined.

"Wow. A Black that was in Ravenclaw. I wonder if she has been burned off of the family tree yet…?" she made a mental note to look at the tree at Grimwauld Place when she got back to the future.

"Hey, guys!" she began with a little too much pep for Hermione's taste. "I'm sure we're going to have a great year. We just need to stick together and not let this Grindelwald fellow get to us. Remember, we are as strong as we are united, but as weak as we are divided." He emphasized her last sentence with a wink at the crowd before practically skipping off stage.

"Thank you for that, erm, inspiring speech, Cecilia. Now, please welcome your new Head Boy, Tom Riddle!"

The young witch choked on the water she was drinking when she heard his name announced. She knew that Dumbledore always felt uneasy about young Tom Riddle, and assumed the other professors did as well. Never for one moment did she consider the possibility of him being Head Boy. Nonetheless, he walked towards the podium with a bit of a strut in his walk. Although she would never admit it out loud, Hermione had to say he was exceptionally good looking. In a future-dark-lord type of way. He was tall, very tall. Hermione could see that he easily towered over Headmaster Dippet. He also seemed to be thin, not to the point of being lanky or emaciated, but enough to give his body a bit of a feminine flair (Hermione repressed a snort at this thought). His dark hair was neatly parted on the side, and fell across his head in perfect waves. She couldn't tell from this distance whether his hair was black or brown, but she could immediately tell the color of his eyes: shockingly bright blue with a slight gray undertone. She laughed to think that the girls probably fawned over him, and was pleasantly surprised when not one student clapped upon his arrival at the podium.

"Thank you, Headmaster." He said, looking at Dippet. He turned his head back to the Great Hall and gave a small smirk. Hermione swore she could hear the entire female population gasp for air collectively. "I don't believe there is much I can add to what Headmaster Dippet and Miss Black have already stated, but I would like to assure you that I am looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you over the course of the year. I do hope you are not disappointed in my performance this year." He gave a small gulp and looked like he was blushing as he walked off of the stage.

The rest of the feast passed by uneventfully for Hermione; although it was the first decently sized meal she had eaten in days. She made a point to sit down for three meals a day, but ever since Harry…well. She had only been able to force down a few bites at a time. Comfortably full, the brunette packed up the things she had brought with her, and strolled out of the Great Hall. She left with the third wave of students to retire to their dormitories for the night. Once she was almost to the Dungeons, Hermione remembered that she had left her trunk in the Room of Requirement. She muttered to herself and turned around to get it, when suddenly, everything went dark.

**Author's Note: PLEASE REVIEW! I'm really curious as to what you guys think about this chapter. I hope it isn't too cliché, but I'm afraid it is :/. I hope you enjoyed it! Tomorrow marks the first day of school for me, so expect updates to slow down. **


	5. Speaking in Riddles

**Author's note: DUN DUN DUN DUN. ****Thank you all for the reviews, they mean so much to me. I'm pretty sure I replied to all of them, and I'm so sorry if I missed you. Long weekend is here, so I have a break from school (thank god). I'm just chilling out until Hurricane Earl hits…yay Cape Cod…(update…nothing happened. It was like a normal rain shower…what the hell?)Anyway, enjoy the chapter. And Tom ;)**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I just borrowed JKR's world for a little while, I don't own this. Or have a castle in Scotland, unfortunately. Nor am I richer than the queen of England. **

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"_Ennervate_. Oh, how nice of you to join us, Miss Potter-Smith. Or should I say, Miss _Granger_?"

Hermione, just waking up from a stunning spell, realized the implication of the words.

"Why would you say that?" She scowled.

"Well, that is your _real_ name, isn't it?" he coolly replied. "Don't you worry your pretty little head. As long as you cooperate with me, there is no reason for anyone to find out just what I know about you and your past, or rather, future?" He paced around the couch the witch was laying on, his dark hair falling in his eyes in a way that reminded her of Harry.

"What did you do to me, you Bastard?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That's no way for a lady to talk, now is it? I do think I am the one asking the questions. _Fragdictus_. You can try and scream for help, be my guest. Just know that every time you try, you will only cause your vocal cords to bleed more."

Hermione didn't have to take his word for it; she could already feel the blood dripping down her throat, clogging her lungs after she had tested his theory. Coughing only added to fluid in her chest.

"You are probably wondering why I brought you here. I simply needed to remind you who is in charge. I own you, Granger. Don't you forget. If you tell anyone what has happened tonight, I will know. The teachers wouldn't believe you, anyway. Who would suspect the Head Boy of such a thing? Understand? Good, now get out of my sight."

Not wanting to anger him anymore, the brunette stood up and ran out of the room. She needed to get out of there as soon as possible. Her fight-or-flight instinct had kicked in, and it was telling her to run as fast as she could as far as she could. Returning to the Slytherin Common room was temporarily not an option, so she left the Castle. Thankful for her skill with silent magic, Hermione took out her wand and pointed it at her throat. "_Novstrudic_" she thought, not breaking out of her sprint. The castle grounds sprawled out before her as she wiped the tears from her eyes. After a few solid minutes running, she found herself in the Forbidden Forest. Out of breath, the young witch collapsed as the world around her disappeared and the flashback overcame her.

"_Who are you?" _

"_Penelope Clearwater."_

"_DON'T LIE TO ME YOU MUDBLOOD! CRUCIO!"_

_Hermione watched herself writhe in pain on the floor. She heard her own earsplitting screams. It was like watching above. She supposed this was what muggles called and out-of-body experience. Bellatrix ended the curse and asked again._

"_I ASKED, WHO ARE YOU?"_

"_My name is Penelope Clearwater." The sixteen year old answered in a strangely calm voice._

"_CRUICIO! YOU WILL TELL ME WHO YOU ARE, YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD, OR YOU WILL ANSWER TO THE DARK LORD HIMSELF."_

_Hermione didn't see her body react this time. She just lay there, curled in the fetal position. Her long, bushy hair was matted and tangled, stuck to her face with tears. There were no screams this time, just the occasional whimper. She saw Bellatrix move towards the young girl. With the tender touch of a mother, she brushed the hair off of Hermione's face and crouched next to her. _

"_I am going to ask you one more time. Who are you?"_

_Hermione's body only smiled and said "Mortignus cophum" and with that, Bellatrix burst into flames. _

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"How did he know about me? That I'm from the future? My real name?" she wondered. She felt the hot water running down her back as she tried to shower the memory away, but these questions just kept nagging at her. Is it possible that he had interrogated her before that, but obliviated her memory?

"Think Hermione, think. How would you normally solve this problem? You would make a list, that's how." She dried herself off with her wand, and having changed into her pajamas, walked out into her dormitory. The brunette sat down at her desk and took out parchment, a quill, and ink.

Things I Know

Harry Potter was killed by Lord Voldemort

I came back in time to 1946 using my old time-turner that I meddled with

I was sorted into Slytherin

I have not told anyone about my past/future

Tom Riddle (Lord Voldemort) ambushed me in the dungeons with a stunning spell.

I woke up in a room where he interrogated me.

He knows my real name and that I'm from the future. This means he probably knows about Lord Voldemort and what he would do in the future.

He didn't kill me.

This list was of almost no help in figuring out how Tom knew everything, but it did help calm Hermione down and organize her thoughts. Since the brunette felt more relaxed, she fell into another deep, peaceful sleep, and dreamed she was at one of Harry's Occulemency lessons back in fifth year.

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"Good morning, everyone!" Hermione said cheerily at breakfast the next morning. She poured herself a cup of tea to go with her scrambled eggs and toast. Various grunts and replies came from the new friends and acquaintances who sat around her, including Eileen Prince, Abraxus Malfoy, Cygnus Black, and Harry's great, great paternal grandfather, William Potter. The time-traveling witch saw a lot of Severus Snape's dry humor in his mother, and was oddly comforted by it. Mister Black was quite the ladies man, and had the same charm and smirk of his nephew, Sirius. Physical appearance notwithstanding, Abraxus Malfoy was very different from his son and grandson. He was very sweet and chivalric, and Hermione suspected the only reason the Sorting Hat put him in Slytherin was because of his family name. Not unexpectedly, William was the spitting image of Harry, although he had hazel eyes, like James Potter.

"How did you sleep, Riddle?" _You don't scare me._

"Quite well, actually. I trust you did as well?" _Liar._

"I wish I could say I did, but I'm not quite used to my new bed here. It's almost like sleeping on a bed of _snakes_." _I know just as much about you as you know about me. Don't think for a moment that you have the upper hand here._

"That's unfortunate. Perhaps you should ask Headmaster Dippet to sort that out for you." _And what are you going to do with it? Tell on me?_

"No, I think I'm capable of handling this particular problem on my own." No translation needed. She batted her eyelashes and continued. "I would be much obliged if you escorted me to Potions, _Tom_."

His eyes blazed with emotion for a split second, but his blank mask fell into place just as quickly.

"Of course, _Hermione_." And with that, the unlikely pair strolled out of the Great Hall.

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**Author's Note: Blahh. I'm so sorry this chapter is short, I really had intended to make it longer, but I've already taken so long getting it done. ****Have you guys figured out how Tom knows everything yet? I dropped a huge hint in the chapter. School started up and I just don't have the time I used to have to work on this story. Therefore, you guys have a tough choice to make: I can either give you quick, short updates (think 1.5k words, every week) or slow, long updates. (5k words every few weeks). It ends up being about the same amount of work for me, so I don't really care. It's up to you guys. I'll post a poll on my profile, please vote! I want to keep you guys happy. Please, don't forget to review. Special thanks to my new Beta, ScifiSOS. **

**I'll also be posting a 'chapter' soon with just explanations of all the spells I use. They're not just nonsense, I actually took time and went though latin bases and whatnot, so I'm actually quite proud of them. :) APPRECIATE THEM OR DIE.  
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